What is Assistive Technology (AT)?
Definition of the term 'Assistive Technology' Assistive Technology (AT) is any product or service designed to enable independence for disabled and older people. (King's Fund consultation, 2001)
In March 2001 a King's Fund consultation meeting agreed a definition for 'Assistive Technology' (AT) to replace the term disability equipment in the UK. This definition is increasingly used because it more accurately reflects the wide range of equipment and services that assists older and disabled people to maximise their independence. It also acknowledges the cross over between inclusively designed, mainstream products and the technology specifically made available to assist disabled and older people.
Learning from the United States was that to define the term too closely using illustrative lists of equipment ran the risk that any associated legislation, funding or regulatory measures failed to cover emerging technologies not included in the listing. Using a broad definition, focused on a person-centred outcome of maximising independence, enables the sharing of a common evidence base. Consensus on good practice can then be related to practice within particular areas of assistive technology.
Assistive Technology (AT) is still used to denote a particular range of equipment by different sectors, for example, people working in Education tend to define AT as products and services which assist learning; computers, communication aids and digital learning aids. Additionally, there has been mention of 'Assistive Technology' within recent government policy denoting telecare and telemedicine applications. As integration across services to disabled and older people increasingly takes place between health, social care, education, housing and employment services such variation in the use of the term will resolve itself.
Assistive technology is similarly defined in a broadly inclusive sense across the world. The UK is learning from and contributing to the international body of evidence growing around the use of AT and of product innovation in AT.
The King's Fund meeting in 2001 was facilitated by FAST and followed wide consultation. Organisations taking part in the meeting to agree the definition were:
Whizz Kidz, Stoke Mandeville Hospital, the Department of Health, Disabled Living Centres Council (now Assist UK), British Healthcare Trades Association, Sussex University, NHS Purchasing and Supplies Agency, the Centre for Disability Research and Innovation (now the Aspire Centre for Disability Sciences), RADAR, Southern Medical Ltd, Nuffield Orthopaedic Hospital, BES Rehab, the West Midlands Rehab Centre, CoRE at King's College London, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the Association of British Healthcare Industry and the Medical Devices Agency.
Reproduced with permission of FAST